Treatments (Eye) -BeneFit Cosmetics - EyeCon
blushin 7/5/2005 6:13:00 PM
Nice simple eye cream. Skip the claims about circle, etc. Non-greasy hydration perfect over sunscreen and under concealer. Simple and works. Keep it on my dressing table, not the bathroom, and also use for touch-ups if I have dry spots on my face (corner of nose, etc) since it dries down so matte. Makeup sticks really well to this stuff. The jar is huge but I am fickle. ;) Probably find something in year when it runs out that I want to try instead. PS. About the 'not clean, finger in jar comments'. Well, I often take my larger products that come in jars and place in travel containers (Bobbi Brown has nice ones) so I keep the big jar clean and have all my stuff travel ready. Otherwise, for stay at home stuff, use a Q-tip. Q-tips are cheap! The travel jar trick works good for samples, too, squeeze out the package and you'll be surprised how much is in there, especially eye cream samples, they are usually about 1/5 the size of a full size product. That is a month of eye cream! Do this with chanel stuff all the time.
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Cleansers -Awake - Skin Renovation Wash
blushin 6/15/2005 8:19:00 PM
Really good. Foaming without stripping. Very small amount needed to wash tons of makeup off. Works around they eyes. Does have a very slight soapy "taste", but it doesn't bother me. Is just a simple, perfect, plain cleanser. Why is this so hard to get right for other companies? Anyway, I have two bottles in my back-up stash already. What more can I say? I already repurchased...so three times total so far.
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Treatments (Eye) -Bobbi Brown - Extra Eye Balm
blushin 5/6/2005 7:30:00 PM
Awesome. Really hydrates and protects. Wake up with soft undereye skin that needs minimal cream under my concealer, sometimes I just wash the rest of my face and leave my eyes alone, the balm leaves a small film when I rinse my face and I find that that is the best base under concealer - pure hydrated slightly sticky moisturized skin. Concealer + powder = all day lasting. I use over retinol eye products sometimes, too. Use 4-5 nights a week, and then on weekend days.
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Moisturizers -Bobbi Brown - brightening moisturizer with SPF 25
blushin 5/6/2005 7:25:00 PM
Terrible. Creates a filmy layer that rolls off if you touch your face after it sets (like, if you blow your nose or go to put on makeup!). Something wrong with the formula. The brighteners are almost insignificant in concentration, so I would stick with her other sunscreen (the 15 one is OK, the face balm 25 will sting the cr@p out of your eyes while it dries on your face -all the oils evaporate-). Skip this one. Use the face base (awesome!) if you need more moisture than your regular sunscreen gives you, as a primer, after the sunscreen.
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Concealers -Kevyn Aucoin - The Sensual Skin Enhancer
blushin 4/2/2005 7:51:00 PM
For reference first, I am about an NC25, NC30 is definately too dark and I use NC20 for undereye. Chanel in 1.5 (Shell), LM in warm ivory, BB face warm sand, eye ivory. In this one, I use SX05 for eye and SX07 for face. Mix as needed. Both are neutral, good for complextions that are sort of transparent in color. The even colors are too yellow/golden. Sometimes I use alone over well primed face (EL daywear w/ SPF for day, LM primer at night). You really need to exfoliate and I always set with powder (currently LM in ivory, simliar to pale yellow in BB). I still use LM secret camo for spots, it seems to stick longer and I am used to it. But, this stuff is like the perfect mixer. I can add a dab to any foundation I have (sheer shimmery ones, etc) to add a bit more coverage in some places without changing the overall color. the packaging, well, here is the trick. I bought four sets of the BB empties (they are nice, have lables, many are blank, not what sephora does not sell the empties in the travel case - so bummed, you got over 20 bottles, sprays, pumps, etc, for about $18). I use the scoop, sterilized with 97% rubbing alcohol, and scoop out to fill the smallest jar. Label and then put the regular pot back in the box stashed in my dressing table drawers. Keeps the large pots sterile, so lasts a long time. Creams make me feel funny. I do the same with larger jars of face cream, with samples of eye cream that I get (unload a few packettes into an empty pot and you can get almost a full .5 oz eye cream for free from the chanel counter!). Application is finger, heat, rubbed in. Just as he suggests in his books, this is not a "foundation brush" sit on top kind of product (as, for example, LM oil-free is). Anyway, love the options it offers, really like the neutralizing properties, and the way it blends in with my othe products for customized effects. Think of it like a luminizer in reverse, something to add more matte coverage when/where you need it. But for evening or photo, use all over, is fabulous. I think the price is so so fantastic considering how much use you get, especially if you re-pot in small does, keeping the main pot clean.
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Moisturizers -DERMAdoctor - Calm Cool & Corrected
blushin 4/2/2005 12:42:00 AM
Wrinkle revenge beats this hands down. Finished my jar a few years ago but never bought again. Like BB face base instead of plain "calming" face cream.
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Skincare - Face -DERMAdoctor - Tease Zone
blushin 4/2/2005 12:41:00 AM
I didn't "get" this one. Picture porefect also absorbs oil, so I use that, so really don't need this. When I need a primer, it is usually for night, and I like to use LM instead to make my makeup more dewy plus the Lm oil-free foundation is pretty thick and needs a slick base. Love the line overall, but only bought this once and half the bottle is still on the shelf. Maybe in summer I'll try again. I think the pump is fine (shake it to prime the ball inside the pump folks! It'll work fine!).
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Treatments -DERMAdoctor - Picture Porefect serum
blushin 4/2/2005 12:37:00 AM
Update: finally got a bottle with a wierd pump, trick is to shake it. The little ball in the pump needs to be primed. I still use 2-3 pumps, but can also get just a dab out to spot treat if I want to put on gob on a PMS bump. Still loving.
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Lotions/ Creams -DERMAdoctor - KP Duty
blushin 4/2/2005 12:34:00 AM
I do not have KP, but breakout a bit on my upper chest, arms, and yes, butt. I use this cream after my morning shower, then whatever lotion I am using everywhere else. Feels like cetaphil cream, soaks in good, does not smell or taste bad (according to my DH). I am on my third tube. Best AHA body cream I have ever used. Most have mineral oil in them, but not this one, no grease. Love it. I buy in bulk when she does web special. Free shipping, lots of samples, cash-back derma-dollars, coupons galore once you sign up, what could be better. I bet I end up paying about $15 a tube once all the discounts are added up.
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Moisturizers -Estee Lauder - Daywear Plus Cream for Normal/Combination skin
blushin 3/2/2005 8:09:00 PM
Have gone through many jars of this stuff. Alternate with dermadoctor 30 for outdoor days. Does not flake into my eyebrows, moisturizes then dries down, great m/u primer. I slather it on, so really get the full SPF. 15 is 95% protection and 30 is 97% protection. Worth the 2% to have a good makeup day! I use retinol/AHA and other stuff, and this really soaks in good after a good exfoliation. Love the smell. Liked the matching toner (but did not repurchase) and hated the matching eye cream 15 and foaming face wash. I am on the fence about idealist. True, it works as a good base under the sunscreen if I have really scrubbed myself raw, but I can't help thinking that I get little bumps from it. I have been using Finicia instead, with a bit of Tease Zone. At night I use dermadoctor wrinkle revenge (face & eye both) for my peptide fix, patted over my afirm (retinol) afternating nights with Poreferfect depending on how much my skin can handle. An AHA toner rounds it out. Great for combo/oily girls with serious skin rejuvination schemes that needs some moisture/protect/healing time during the day. Keeps melasma at bay.
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Treatments (Eye) -Estee Lauder - DayWear Plus Eye Creme SPF15
blushin 3/2/2005 8:01:00 PM
Well, I love daywear cream 15 for combo skin, and normally just pat it over my eye cream to get the SPF. I really slather that stuff on, to get the full protection. But, I love matching things and had to try the eye cream, This is very dry, the mattifing ingredients interfer with concealer application. I considered using it on weekends only when I don't wear makeup, but then I would really rather being using a retinol eye treatment instead while I am indoors and use my regular dermadoctor 30 when I do stuff outside (again, patted on top). I finally just tossed it out. Since it came in the winter kit with full-size products - what could I do? I just did not want to be tempted to have another bad eye day. BTW- this stuff stings if it get's in your eyes, which I don't have a problem with the EL daywear gel-cream or the DD sunscreen. Too complicated. Save your money, get a good eye cream (or two, one for moisture & slip during the day, one treatment for night) and use your regular sunscreen over the top. For big outdoor days, buy one of those tube SPF 50 waxy sunscreens from shiseido for your pocket, the kind you can use on eyes or lips, when you are not concerned with looking greasy or makeup.
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Eye Shadow -Lancome - Colour Focus Sparkle
blushin 2/13/2005 7:06:00 PM
Love this. Had a sample 4-pack from one of their give-aways and liked this color enough to buy. Is sold out most places - I had to look around. It is a nude base with a bit of dispersed sparkle. Use other shadows over for contour/liner. Is a great alternative to a matte bone colored base. The powder is mostly matte with small shimmer particles, not densely shimmery, so neutral enough for regular work days. This color is exactly the same color as my eyelid (NC25). Is the onl lancome eyeshadow I own (I'm normally a Trish and Nars girl).
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear 
blushin 1/24/2005 11:07:00 PM
So, I got a color that is pretty good. And yes with a brush it can get a smooth layer. It does not smear, does not get too oily, stays on until you take it off - but that is the problem! Almost distoyed my foundation brush and it took cleansing oil, strong cleanser, and alcolor toner to get it all off. And I would still get little bumps around my hair line. I put my own pump on the bottle (same bottle top size as a "boston round" glass bottle, can get on-line). But, I tossed it out. Went for the LM oil-free for nights and Chanel vitamin for day. Neither is as long lasting, but powder mid-day helps. I use a good concealer (LM for face and MAC for eye) so the basics are covered so bare face is not so bad for casual days. Too bad - I guess it is a trade off. If you want it to last, it lasts, if you want to be able to wash it off, it will fade without maintainance. I am combo using alot of AHA/retinol so exfoliate the rapidly shedding skin my produces daily, so skin not to bad so in winter the slighlty dewy Chanel is OK. I use LM TM for weekends, and Chanel DPL in the summer (more matte). But, if you need full coverage, use the LM oil-free year round, esp. for pictures or heat-wave days, w/ her powder (the best).
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - #190 Foundation Brush
blushin 1/24/2005 10:56:00 PM
SO great. I used my Px version (almost identical texture) for over 8 years, then thought it was time for a new one and went for the MAC version. Has slighly more thickness, really works to blend everything in, you use to apply all over then go to blending, as your foundation dries down, you can smooth it all out in almost a scrubing motion. The foundation does not "catch" in the brush - which is great. The mac brush cleaner is a mush. I use this and the MAC concealer (mini version of this) and wash nightly when I was my face. About twice a week I follow up with a real soapy bath with a mild soap. I use Trish brushes for everything else (although I have my huge mac collection, some in the single digits over 10 years old, perfect condition..) but use MAC for liquids. I use the brush cleaner to wipe off the powder brushes ever day or so. This makes the brushes last forever. Really a superior brush. Paula dorf's are to smooth and streak, Trish's is too small and streaks (both are good for blush and eye creams, though). One thing though - don't use with long wearing foundation - EL double wear almost wrecked this, since NOTHING removes it except oil, and the cleaning oil can break down the binding in the bottom of the brush. Will use until it looks worn and reperchase, in like 15 years!
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Treatments (Eye) -DERMAdoctor - Wrinkle Revenge Eye
blushin 1/15/2005 2:45:00 AM
Wow, very large jar (1 oz) for an eye cream. Moisturizing feeling that dries down a bit. Can slather on all over, no stinging, no puffies, no cheek breakouts. I use with the matching moisturizer. Very nice for use when you have other treatment products in your routine (like AHA or retinol or differin, RAM, etc) that can make your eyes irritated and a bit puffy/wrinkly looking when they are too strong. Love.
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